AT&T expands, upgrades service for cell phones

Mobile phone users in Pasadena and Baytown should be experiencing better and wider coverage thanks to a recently completed expansion and upgrade of services by communications provider AT&T.

The Texas based company has completed almost $30 million worth of upgrades to its 3G, or 3rd Generation, network over the last 18 months in the greater Houston area.

AT&T spokeswoman Sarah Andreani said customers can expect to get better coverage in buildings where previously it was difficult to get coverage, and they will be able to do more with their mobile phones, more quickly.

“Before we were operating with the equivalent of a two-lane highway,”

Andreani said. “Now we've expanded it to four lanes, so more data flows through, and our customers will have a better mobile experience than they had before.”

The company is able to offer the wider range of services while nearly doubling network capacity through the addition of wireless spectrum in the 850 MHz band, which is better able to penetrate buildings and offers more bars.

Locally, the company upgraded more than 550 cell towers, covering about 5,500 square miles and encompassing the Greater Houston area.

Andreani said the upgrades were needed as the company added more data phone traffic.

“More people are using their phones to check e-mail and surf the net, and the phones are more advanced,” Andreani said. “We are always looking at ways to invest and support this explosive interest in using these devices, and we want our customers to have the best experience when they are using these applications every day.”

Andreani said the local improvements are part of AT&T's nationwide $17.5 billion investment in capital expenditures, about two thirds of which have been funneled into expanding and enhancing wireless and broadband services. This year the company added 1,900 cell sites across the country.

“The whole purpose behind this project is that we want to make sure customers have the best possible network experience.” Andreani said